City OKs purchase with park district

TROY — Council unanimously approved to enter into a purchase option agreement to sell approximately 38 acres to the Miami County Park District from the recently acquired Huelskamp Farm on Monday.

Council member Robin Oda was not present.

The park district has applied for a Clean Ohio grant for approximately $270,000 or $7,100 per acre for the floodplain area along the Miami River. At this time, the land is limited in its use for activity such as various trails due to its location, according to Miami County Park District Executive Director Scott Myers . Plans include to clear the area from invasive honeysuckle and create a stream-side buffer for river protection, Myers said.

The land would not be viable for the ball fields as part of the expansion of Paul G. Duke Park. Last summer, the city purchased the 118-acre Huelskamp Farm adjacent to the Duke Park for $1.5 million. The city also has secured $600,000 in grants for the purchase of the property.

Council also unanimously approved and adopted the following resolutions:

• To authorize the Troy Recreation Board to advertise for bids and enter into a contract for the concession operations for the little league football area and softball fields at the Paul G. Duke Park.

• To increase the authorization for the city’s portion of the façade improvement project at 121 Public Square at a cost not to exceed $70,000.

• To employ legal counsel for collection bargaining. The personnel committee approved to move forward with an agreement with the firm Denlinger, Rosenthal and Greenberg for legal services for collective bargaining and personnel services if it goes over the budgeted $50,000 per year allocations. The city has six bargaining unit agreements that expire at the year end.

Resident Lester Conard asked where the bargaining law firm was located. According to city public service and safety Patrick Titterington, the law firm is located in Cincinnati. Conard also asked council to consider senior citizens and those on a fixed income during the next year of council decisions regarding fees, taxes and projects. Conard noted the lack of increase in social security and how many residents are on fixed budgets.

Resident Andrew Luring asked how the bargaining law firm was billed, which Titterington said was done by the hour.

“It’s an hourly rate and it just depends on how prolonged the negotiations are and if it involves any outside mediation or arbitration or anything like that,” Titterington said.Titterington said the city has used the same law firm for the last decade which he believes is prudent since the firm knows all six units’ contract language.

Luring also asked why law director Jim Livingston didn’t handing the contracts. Livingston said it was not in his area of expertise.

Luring asked if the city has considered part-time for the city’s police officers. Titterington said the city has a volunteer auxiliary department which helps with various events.

Luring also asked if the former ITW/Hobart manufacturing site on West Main Street had been sold, which it has not.

Luring asked how the city was involved in the sale of the property. Titterington explained that the city, along with the Troy Development Council, has an agreement with the ITW/Hobart company to help find a viable buyer/developer for the area.

Titterington also said the city split the cost of an economic consulting firm with TDC for a study to determine options for the best use of the property.

“Ultimately, the negotiations of the sale of the property is between Hobart, ITW and whoever the buyer may be,” Titterington said.

Luring asked why the city would pay for half of a study for a property that it has no control over its sale.

“Because the city is vitally interested in the kind of reuse that might happen on that site, and Hobart could have sold that to whoever they wanted to …. they do have an agreement for three years that they would take the advice of the TDC and work with the TDC on that and they do have a contract with them,” Titterington said.

Luring also asked questions about the new ordinance amendments regarding food truck laws and its 100 yard rule and if there would be any mapping information available online.

Titterington said the city has aerial maps and other maps to determine the 100 yard rule for food truck vendors to sell away from established eateries and said the city has not received any permits or applications from food vendors.

By Melanie Yingst

myingst@civitasmedia.com

Reach Melanie Yingst at myingst@civitasmedia.com or follow her on Twitter @Troydailynews